IMHO, the way we fund police should be tax dollars. Only tax dollars. Separated out, so everyone knows exactly how much they personally are paying the police. And can have a voice as to this when it comes to election time…
All the fines, fees, and such? Other than victim restitution, any proceeds should be put into a national pot and either distributed equally to every citizen, or distributed via lottery (except for relatives of government officials or any members of any branch of law enforcement). No one from any level of government should benefit in any way, shape, or form from law enforcement activity. (And government officials and their families should be banned from obtaining anything from forfeited property auctions.)
There should be no fee for defending yourself in court. The state should pay the defense fee for anyone who is not found guilty. If any misconduct (down to failure to provide bodycam video), inconsistency, or if anyone in the prosecution is caught in a lie- then they should be given the maximum sentence the accused faced.
Honestly, that cops don’t want body cams only shows that they are corrupt. If they weren’t, they would welcome the proof of what they are saying.
